Cardiac Intensive Care Unit

The highly specialized Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU) provides critical care and sophisticated monitoring for infants and children with critical heart disease, including those undergoing preoperative and postoperative care. The 10-bed CICU is co-located within the 19-bed, 12,500 square-foot Critical Care Center, and is situated adjacent to the medical/surgical intensive care unit. The CICU is the only one of its kind in New Jersey, capable of providing state-of-the-art cardiac intensive care, and yet designed specifically to offer families a warm and nurturing child-centered environment. An experienced team of cardiac intensivists, cardiologists, cardiothoracic surgeons, critical care specialists, cardiothoracic anesthesiologists and cardiac nurse specialists provide seamlessly integrated care.

The CICU offers the most advanced therapy for the support of the heart and lungs. Nitric oxide is available for use in children at risk for pulmonary hypertension during cardiac interventions or operations. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) and ventricular assist devices (VADs) are available options for mechanical support of the failing circulation, before or after cardiac surgery. In the midst of this cutting edge technology, children and their families can still find privacy and comfort in our spacious patient rooms.

The CICU also features:

  • Electronic access to patient data at the bedside
  • Point-of-care nursing
  • Telemedicine and teleconferencing
  • A state-of-the-art central monitoring system with total recall capabilities enhancing analysis of the patient’s clinical course
  • A parent resource room, with reference material focusing on a wide range of medical topics, along with internet access to help children and their parents better understand their illness its treatment
  • Private patient rooms including specialized isolation rooms for children with immune deficiency or in those fighting serious contagious disease
  • Private meditation area
  • Private consultation areas for family members and staff
  • Nurse work stations located adjacent to each patient room
  • Available accommodations for parents who wish to stay overnight with their child

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